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A lot of people talk about “building community” in Los Angeles. Jerry Neuman has literally helped build the projects, partnerships, and approvals that shape how the city works. Jerry is a veteran land use attorney and lead negotiator on major real estate, infrastructure, green energy, and government procurement efforts, with deep experience navigating CEQA and NEPA. Our conversation goes past the resume and into the behind-the-scenes realities of development, leadership, and civic trust in California.

We start with the story that formed Jerry’s values: his parents’ journey as immigrants and Holocaust survivors, and the civic organizations that helped them rebuild. That foundation leads straight into mentorship and access. Jerry shares the bold “deal” he offered his first boss when he arrived in Los Angeles at 24, and how being put in the room taught him to earn relationships, not just inherit them.

From there, we get practical about how projects move. Jerry explains why entitlement work is equal parts community engagement and strategy, and why he treats each project like a play with a script, a cast, and an arc. You’ll hear memorable examples of creative problem solving, including rethinking air rights to unlock affordable housing, plus lessons from landmark work around Hollywood, major developments, and the evolving world of naming rights and signage agreements.

We also dig into what’s broken: a bureaucracy that rewards regulation over implementation, an ethics culture that can discourage basic relationship-building, and a widening wealth gap that fuels distrust. Jerry makes a case for transparency, real collaboration, and telling philanthropy impact stories so communities can see what’s actually being invested in them.

If you care about Los Angeles development, civic leadership, real estate entitlements, or building a healthier California economy, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a builder in your life, and leave a review so more listeners can find these leadership stories.

📌 ABOUT OUR GUEST
🔹 Name: Jerold B. (Jerry) Neuman
🔹 Title: Partner, DLA Piper Head of Real Estate and Land Use Practice

🔹 Guests Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerryneuman/

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